The ability to fight disease is a driving force in human survival. Inflammation has emerged as a key weapon in this process. As pathogens change and evolve, the immune system adapts to keep up.
However, to what extent might such evolutionary adaptations also give rise to autoimmune conditions such as lupus and Crohn's disease?
This was a central question in a recent Trends in Immunology review by two scientists from Radboud University, in Nijmegen, Netherlands. They focused on people of African or Eurasian descent and how their ancestral origins may have influenced their risk of autoimmune diseases.
Over time, however, it seems that inflammation-related diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, and lupus, have emerged alongside improvements in immune defenses.
The findings also suggest that the human immune system continues to evolve and adapt to changes in environment and lifestyle.
"There seems to be a balance," says Domínguez-Andrés. Humans evolve to build defenses against diseases," he continues, "but we are not able to stop disease from happening, so the benefit we obtain on one hand also makes us more sensitive to new diseases on the other hand."
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